William Elliott III
William Elliott III was a prominent figure in early 19th-century South Carolina, known for his roles as a planter, politician, and author. Born in Beaufort, South Carolina, he was educated at Beaufort College and Harvard University, earning both a B.A. and an M.A. Elliott married Ann Hutchinson Smith and had nine children. His political career began in 1814 when he was elected to the South Carolina legislature, where he served as both a representative and a senator. Notably, he opposed the nullification of federal laws, resigning from the state senate in 1832 rather than comply with his constituents' wishes to support it, a decision he articulated in his influential pamphlet, "Address to the People of St. Helena."
After leaving politics, Elliott focused on agriculture and became known for his writings, particularly about his experiences with sea-island cotton planting and outdoor sporting. His collection of sketches, "Carolina Sports," detailing his adventures in fishing and hunting, gained widespread popularity, going through multiple editions and even being published in London. Additionally, he authored a tragedy, "Fiesco," which he published anonymously, reflecting his views on social class and propriety. Elliott's literary contributions and his significant agricultural endeavors mark him as a noteworthy figure in the cultural and political landscape of antebellum South Carolina. The Elliott-Gonzales Papers, a substantial archive of his and his family's correspondence and documents, are preserved at the University of North Carolina, offering further insight into his life and times.
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Subject Terms
William Elliott III
- Born: April 27, 1788
- Birthplace: Beaufort, South Carolina
- Died: February 3, 1863
- Place of death: Charleston, South Carolina
Biography
William Elliott III, the son of William Elliott and Phoebe Wright, was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, the son and grandson of planters bearing the same name. Educated in the schools at Beaufort and at Beaufort College, he entered Harvard as a sophomore in 1806. He received a B.A. in 1810 and M.A. in 1815. In 1817 he married Ann Hutchinson Smith; they had nine children. Elected to the South Carolina legislature in 1814, Elliott served first as a representative and then as a senator from the Beaufort district. From 1828 to 1832 the South Carolina legislature was involved in a controversy over the nullification of federal laws and possible secession. Elliott remained committed to the Union and resigned from the state senate in 1832 rather than vote for the nullification of federal tariff laws as his constituents wished. His Address to the People of St. Helena (1832) explains his opposition to nullification. Almost prophetically, he warns that the nullification of federal laws could lead to civil war.
After retiring from politics, he devoted himself to agriculture, travel, and writing. His articles on planting sea-island cotton appeared in the Southern Agriculturist, and he achieved prominence as one of the leading planters of antebellum South Carolina. From a literary perspective, Elliott earned his reputation as the author of sketches of his hunting and fishing experiences, and his stories about harpooning the devilfish from a small boat were particularly popular. These sporting stories appeared in South Carolina newspapers and the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine, but were later collected as Carolina Sports by Land and Water, Including Incidents of Devil Fishing, Etc. (1846). Nearly half of this collection is concerned with tales of hunting the devilfish. Elliott describes this fish as measuring from sixteen to twenty feet across and at least three feet thick with feelers or horns projecting several feet beyond its mouth. Elliott’s vigorous style made these sketches a popular success. His collection went through seven separate editions as well as one reprint. The 1859 edition was illustrated, and Elliott’s sketches were even published in London in 1867 with an introduction by James Spence, a British parliamentarian. In 1850 Elliott privately printed a five-act tragedy in blank verse entitled Fiesco: A Tragedy. The drama was based on an account of the conspiracy of John Lewis de Fiesco, a sixteenth century Genoese nobleman, against the Dorias, the ruling family of Genoa. Elliott withheld his name from the work signing it only as “by an American.” He seems to have believed that publishing under his own name was inappropriate to his social class. He signed his sketches Venator and Piscator and his antisecession political pamphlets Agricola. The Elliott-Gonzales Papers, which contain approximately four thousand items and date from 1698 to 1898, are located at the University of North Carolina in the Southern Historical Collection.